TNI Criticized for Violating Rules in Recruiting 24,000 New Members to Handle Food Affairs

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has condemned the Indonesian Army (TNI AD) plan to recruit 24,000 privates to form a territorial development battalion. The plan was announced by the Head of Information Service of the TNI AD Brigadier General Wahyu Yudhayana on June 4, 2025.

In his statement to the media, Wahyu explained that the recruited troops are not intended for combat purposes, but will be focused on activities such as food security and health services. The Coalition views this policy as deviating from the TNI's main mandate as a national defense force as stipulated in the constitution and TNI Law.

"The TNI is recruited, trained, and educated for war. Not for handling non-combat matters such as agriculture, plantations, animal husbandry, and health services," the coalition said in a press statement on Monday, June 9, 2025.

The Coalition referred to the recruitment and involvement of the TNI in agriculture, plantations, animal husbandry, and health services as a form of failure to maintain the demarcation line between civilian and military affairs. Referring to the 1945 Constitution and TNI Law, limitations on the TNI are clear, so the TNI does not have the authority to intervene in these civilian matters.

According to them, the increasing modern complexity of war threats actually requires the TNI to focus on strengthening combat capabilities, instead of being immersed in non-military activities that fall within the civilian domain. This is considered to betray the spirit of TNI reform, which aspires to the professionalism of the TNI and the absence of TNI intervention in civilian affairs.

The Coalition urged the president and parliament to oversee and evaluate policies that are deemed to have violated the TNI's true identity.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform consists of various organizations, including Imparsial, YLBHI, KontraS, PBHI, Amnesty International Indonesia, ELSAM, Human Right Working Group (HRWG), WALHI, SETARA Institute, Centra Initiative, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Jakarta, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Pers, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Masyarakat, Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Surabaya Pos Malang, Alliance for Papua Democracy (ALDP), Public Virtue, Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (ICJR), Independent Journalist Alliance (AJI) Jakarta, Association for the Defense of Indigenous Peoples Nusantara (PPMAN), BEM SI, and De Jure.

Adil Al Hasan contributed to the writing of this article.

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